Calendar Girl

I LOOOOVE calendars!

As each month rolls into the next, I relish the flipping of each page.

I have them ALL over my house.

Come December 26th, I am out the door ~ not to get merchandise bargains....but to get half-price calendars. Yippee!

Here are the ones I am enjoying this year:

This one I have in my dressing room that I look at while putting on make-up and blow- drying my hair.




This one I have on the back of my door to the bathroom. I see this one alot.




This one I have on my bathroom mirror. A girl can dream while she's brushing her teeth, right?



This one my husband bought me for Christmas and I have in my laundry room to keep up with the dogs' medicine.



This one I use as a diary to record my days' doings.




This one I have over my desk, so as I wait for my things to get printed....I can revel in the glory of God's creation and creativity.



This one I have by my bedroom chair because it warms the cockles of my heart.



There is also the ones I use for marking my schedule. They are ministries that are close to my heart:

Wycliffe Bible Translators and Hope Now Ministries.

After the year is up, I will keep these and pray over them.

As I matter of fact, I have a hard time throwing away any of my old calendars....sometimes I use them to put on packages or for craft projects.

Time.

Marking time. How truly fleeting it is. Tomorrow I turn over a new page ~ where do the old page go?

Billy Graham writes: “Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”

Time is one of our most precious commodities. A remarkable gift from God.... given to us to use it as we choose, with no strings, no caveats. Ideally, we would choose to use it to glorify Him. How I hope that I somehow do.....despite the time I have wasted. May God restore the years the locust has eaten to glorify Him, and....Lord, just like Moses I pray ~ Teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. May I be wise in my time management and all matters that concern You.

Yes, I am a "Calendar Girl." I want them to help me to number my days.

RICE and LICE

Well, Labor Day is just around the corner....and, as usual, summer flew by.

It was a good summer.

Jim finished his chemo, and the PET SCAN was clear!!! Praising God, the GREAT PHYSICIAN, and thanking Him for His mercy and grace.




For me, it was a low-key summer, and I LOVED it. A few trips, here and there, but for the most part ~ HOME....where I like to be.

In May, we went to PA for a family wedding....saw lots of people I have not seen in Y.E.A.R.S. ~ so, that's always fun. Got to spend time with my Grandmother, 103 years old. I fed her, I combed her hair, I rubbed lotion on her, I laughed with her, and I sang and danced with her. She was gone a week later. What a GRACIOUS gift for God to give me one last time with her. I usually don't visit PA until later in the summer. So, thanks, Justin and Tina, for planning your wedding when you did. It also happened to be Mother's Day weekend. I haven't been with my Mother on Mother's Day in probably close to 30 years. So, we had a special event. I invited a group of women, who mean A LOT to me and my family....for tea. We went to Abigail's Tea Room in Reading. It was a delightful afternoon and a very rare occasion.




L. to R.: my Mom, Sara Beth, Sis.... my next-door-neighbor while growing up and like a second Mom, and Meg.



L. to R.: my Aunt Ruthie, my sister, Kathy, family friend, Denise, my niece Tammy, my Aunt Kay, and my cousin, Deb


The end of May, we went to Pullman, WA for another special event. My husband had commissioned a bronze sculpture of our niece, Corinne, in conjunction with her memorial scholarship. The first scholarship was being awarded since we lost Corinne to cancer almost two years ago. She was a senior in high school. The artist, Jeff Wolf, drove something like 14 hours to come to the "unveiling," which took place right before the awards ceremony for scholarships. His speech was so incredibly moving. He explained how Corinne's spirit touched him so very deeply, and how much it meant for him to do the sculpture of her.





Wanda and Matt (Corinne's mom and brother) came to visit last week. We went to the beach for a few days, and had fun playing games.





My girls, however, had a much busier summer.

Sara Beth went to Honduras on a mission trip, to "love on" some children at an orphanage.




She also was a counselor for a camp for children with cancer.




Meg went to China for six weeks. This, my child, who is a very picky eater. Thank the good Lord for rice....it sustained her.




Both had very interesting, eye-opening experiences.

Meg came back from East Asia telling tales of an extremely different culture, and with beautiful pearls.

Sara Beth returned with some very poignant tales, too; but unfortunately...she also returned with lice.

UGH!!!!!! Bless her heart! That has been quite a journey. We have managed to go twenty-three years without the PESTS....and NOW she got caught.

Unfortunately, we had to "put down" our dog, Abigail last week. She was a sweetie. So, that was tuff.



Abigail making herself cozy on top of my suitcase while I pack.

So, that sorta wraps up our summer in a nutshell.

Well ~

Summer '09,
Was one of a kind.
One ate lots of rice,
and the other got lots of lice!!!

Hope you had a nice summer.

Blessings and love,

Becky

Peonies and Parades

Small town America. Summertime. Doesn't get any better than that. Starting with Memorial Day......

Peonies were in bloom, and a profusion filled our yard. Their lush heads generous with layer after layer of beauty and grace. From the palest of pink to the deepest of fuchsia, the glorious shades and hues decorating the end of May. The fragrance was fraught with the promise of that same beauty and grace being infused into our own lives, romanticizing the summer that lay ahead.

Our town honored the selfless sacrifices made by those who gave their lives for our country, and ultimately....us with a parade. The route started on my street and ended cross-town at the cemetery with a touching service.

I was a majorette in the band. I loved the Memorial Day parade. Creak. Slam. Bang. I was in parade formation. No having to drive to the school. No having to get on the school bus and be transported. No down time. No waiting around.

The parade route was festive with the American flag proudly displayed and waved, and lots of fun as familiar faces lined the streets reveling in the excitement of a marching band's beat and energy. Friends, family and neighbors yelling my name made it even sweeter.

The destination, however, was sobering. Solemn, as we entered the cemetery. Remembering....what the parade was about. Too many lives, cut short, in order for us to have lives lived long....lives blanketed in the peace of freedom and boundless in the joy of liberty. Prayers and tributes commemorating their ultimate selflessness were rendered...lest we forget:

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

THANKS FOR YOUR LOVE, FALLEN SOLDIERS. WE REMEMBER AND ARE SO VERY APPRECIATIVE!

I marched those two miles gladly, and the peonies were happy to make the trip to the cemetery as well.....for we always adorned the family grave sites on Memorial Day with the lavish blossoms, in honor of the lavish love they gave by serving our country ~ John Isaac Reeser and John Hunter Reeser....we have not forgotten.

Tapestry of Friendship Under the Tuscan Sun

There are tapestries all over Italy rich with color and content, but none more beautiful than the one the true Master Weaver wove one glorious week under the Tuscan sun ~ a tapestry of friendship.

For my 50th birthday, my husband gave me a Girls' Getaway to one of my favorite places on earth ~ Tuscany, Italy. The group consisted of me, my daughters, my sister, my cousin, and eight girlfriends.

It was idyllic. Truly. A week of stunning beauty all around us and beauty from within our group; as fourteen women's hearts were intricately woven together by threads of love, respect, friendship, laughter, and shared experiences into a striking tapestry more splendid than any medieval masterpiece we were privileged to see. This tapestry was interlaced with old filaments from childhood with my sister, aunt and cousin, contemporary fibers from many different friendships, some of which spanned thirty years, and of course, the distinct and strong strings of a mother-daughter bond. All of these strands were hemmed in with a brand new thread ~ our tour guide, Leo (pronounced Lay-o).

A new friendship was instantly fabricated. Leo fell in love with us and we with him.

A movie buff, Leo dubbed us his "Steel Magnolias." He was so intrigued and inspired by the deep, real, abiding friendships among our ladies, much like M'Lynn, Ouiser, Clairee, and Annell. He commented time and time again on how extraordinarily special our friendships were and even relayed our wonderful relationships to his own friends.

That was six years ago. Time erodes our connection and continents separate us; however, our friendship has endured.

Here is an excerpt of an e-mail I recently received from Leo ~

"Last night I saw on TV a very nice American movie, HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT, starring Anne Bancroft and Ellen Burstyn among others - what a jolly good film. It reminded me of our friendship, we may be miles away but we're so close in our hearts. You all really changed my life, had a great impact, I think that things do happen not just by chance, maybe somebody, UP THERE, had our paths crossing, don't you think so dear Becky? I do...

TAKE CARE, A BIG HUG TO ALL MY DEAR, DEAR, LOVED STEEL MAGNOLIAS

Ciao

Leonardo

P.s.
As I was writing about our paths crossing, a beautiful, warm, sun ray just got inside my room....

Thinking of you all....always"

Under the Tuscan sun, the real Son shone through radiating His love with gossamer strands of the Holy Spirit weaving a tapestry of friendship, old and new.

Visit the adorable, talented gals at http://anneandmay.com/?p=1132 for other celebrations of friendship.

Strength for the "Do-Not-Die" Program

Strength.

That is a word that epitomizes my Grandmother. She needed it. Little did she know the amount of strength she would need to run her race.

Physically ~

She almost died at childbirth with my mother at age 20.
She had three more children.
She raised her children during the Great Depression.
She sold candy door to door when she became a single mom at a time when they were virtually non-existent.
She took care of her bedridden sister for many years.
She helped raise her granddaughter so her son and daughter-in-law could establish their business.
She worked in her son's restaurant until she was in her 80's.
And I'm sure there's a lot more of which I am not aware.

Emotionally ~

She lost one of her daughters at age four tragically to electrocution.
Her house burned.
Her husband left her for another woman.
And I'm sure there's a lot more of which I am not aware.

Spiritually ~

Her body ravaged with age from decades of living, I "yelled" in her ear, "Life is hard, but God is good."

Without skipping a beat, and an instant nodding of her head, she replied with much conviction, "Yes, He is merciful."


Anna Virginia Yocum Moore's endurance is extraordinary.

Her spirit and humor still intact, seemingly indomitable.

Easter Sunday, as I talked to my mother,

"How's Grandmom?"

"She's good."

"Does she know it's Easter?"

"I told her. She wanted to sing "In Your Easter Bonnet." So, we did."

One day not too long ago, she told my sister that she thought the nursing home was trying to get rid of her. Kathy reassured her that they are not.

"Well," she said, "you better bring me the Vermont Country Store catalog so I can order some new nighties."

One day, as my Aunt Ruthie was wheeling her down the hall of the nursing home, she laughingly said, "Pull in to one of these closets, so I can 'kick the bucket.' "

Although she did not "sign up" and is more than ready to go be with the Lord, she has declared:

"I must be on the 'DO NOT DIE' program."

I can understand why she thinks that.

She will be 104 on her next birthday in August.


Dear Grandmom,

You don't need new nighties from the Vermont Country Store.
You are clothed with strength and dignity.
Your fortitude and gracious demeanor with which you lived all of your 37,595 + days, without complaint or self-pity, is more beautiful than the most dazzling gown ever made.
You can rejoice at the days to come knowing you have left me with that legacy which I hope to exemplify as well, pass on to my children, and then to their children.

Thank you for all you've done for me and all you've been to me.

Happy Mother's Day....for the 83rd time!!!!

I love you more than words can express,

Becky


Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. Proverbs 31:25

I DON'T IRON and I ABHORE WRINKLES.....

.....so, what's my secret?



A garment steamer.



They are so easy and fabulous.



I don't hate to iron, but a steamer is SO much more convenient.



It is a slight investment, but trust me......worth every penny!



Blessings and love,



Becky

I am a human-"be" ing. Most of the people I know are human-"do"-ers.

I know that God made me that way, but in this culture in which we live, it is not looked upon too favorably and I struggle with the embarrassment of it.

For example, I enjoy having very long Quiet Times in the morning.....particularly Saturday. My husband will shout upstairs and ask me what I am doing after a few hours. Although he is very understanding and does not negate that time in any way, I still feel guilty that I am not "up, and doing something."

So, I struggle with that.

My personality dictates a lot of "down-time" between my "do-ings." I don't think God wants us so over-"do"ing that it messes with us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So, I try not to overbook. Again, in today's society....so hard to do, and for others, sometimes hard to understand.

There is also a fine line, with me, between "be-ing" and crossing over into laziness. So, I have to search myself and make sure I am not using my temperament as an excuse or cope-out. I don't want to displease Him and waste my time and my life ---- I know I've already done way too much of that....living selfishly. I struggle with that everyday.

I'm trying to focus on "more of Him, and less of me," so hopefully, I can be true to Him and to who God has called me to be, and what He has called me to do.....

without feeling guilty about what I think the world wants me to do.

Blessings and love,

Becky